Barry Callebaut to buy manufacturing assets in Chicago

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND — Barry Callebaut will establish a new manufacturing base in the Midwest region of the United States by acquiring the industrial chocolate manufacturing assets from World’s Finest Chocolate, Barry Callebaut said Feb. 12.

Barry Callebaut, based in Zurich, will lease space at the existing production site of World’s Finest Chocolate in Chicago and supply all of World’s Finest Chocolate’s chocolate demand from the Chicago facility under the outsourcing agreement.

Barry Callebaut will invest 5.1 million Swiss francs ($5.7 million) in fiscal year 2014-15. Deliveries from the new chocolate manufacturing base will begin March 1.

“We feel much honored to have been selected by World’s Finest Chocolate as their partner of choice,” said Dave Johnson, chief executive officer and president Americas of the Barry Callebaut Group. “This long-term agreement is another important step to strengthen our services for customers in the fast-growing Midwest region of the United States. It also underscores our position as the preferred partner for outsourcing, one of our key growth drivers.”